Our ability to communicate instantly across the world has provided easy access for people on one side of the world to watch the horrifying spectacle unfolding as millions of people flee the devastating conflicts in the middle east, Syria, Libya and north Africa in particular seeking refuge in Europe and beyond.

“Canada is committed to bring 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next three years”, according to Caroline Daily, Manager, Resettlement Assistance Program, Immigrant Services Society of BC. “Some would be government sponsored (assisted) refugees (GARs) the rest would be privately sponsored refugees (PSRs), except for a relatively small number of claimants who show up at our borders seeking asylum.”

Canada accepts between 10,000 and 14,000 refugees per year. Daily says about 6,000 are government assisted, and the problem from her perspective is that of the commitment to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees, is included in the regular commitment, not in addition to the regular commitment.

“That means, rather than bring refugees from Eritrea, the Congo or Iraq, the government would select Syrians first,” she said. “What we, and all the settlement agencies and those working with refugees, are asking for is that the commitment toward Syrian refugees comes in addition to the regular commitment. Otherwise, you’re bumping people who have been waiting for years and years and even decades in camps or in cities.”